Port Orange sets criteria for next manager

PORT ORANGE -- City leaders have formally put the qualifications, if not yet the face, in place for a new city manager.

The City Council has established the specific requirements that will be used in advertisements to hire Ken Parker's replacement. He's retiring Feb. 28 after 28 years on the job.

Qualifications include: a bachelor's degree in public or business administration or a related field (with a master's degree preferred); five years minimum experience as a city or county manager, or assistant manager in a comparable sized city (56,000); and experience in finance, labor relations, economic development and redevelopment.

A person with comparable business and corporate experience also will be considered.

Parker announced his retirement in April to give the city plenty of time to find a replacement. He said he wanted to spend more time traveling with his wife of 40 years, visiting his grandchildren and volunteering at church.

The last major area of discussion recently among city leaders centered on salary and benefit compensation, and the bottom-line figure that should be offered.

"Sometimes the argument is that if you set the range, then there's not this expectation from individuals that they can come in and negotiate a salary outside the range," Parker said. "If it's negotiable, then they believe there's an opening to (talk about it)."

Councilman Don Burnette said city leaders reviewed salaries from 22 like-sized cities and the median annual salary was about $130,000. The council agreed to set the total salary/benefit compensation range between $125,000 to $160,000, which will be negotiated and based in large part on "qualifications and experience." Parker made about $120,000 last year.

The city has established a timetable for hiring Parker's replacement, and sought the assistance of the Range Riders -- a volunteer group of retired city and county managers -- and also appointed a committee made up of 10 Port Orange residents.